Sociable

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Don't get me wrong, I love a good costume as much as (or probably more than) the next person, but there are just some things about Halloween that bug me. Maybe it's my age, and I remember the truly innocent fun the holiday used to represent. But then came the stories of evil demented people who put razorblades in candy and such, making a night for kids' fun morph into something more befitting a Stephen King movie.

Since All Hallow's Eve is tomorrow, here's a list of my personal pet peeves about the modern day "celebration." Please feel free to add to the list!

Top 10 Things that Bother Me About Halloween:

10. I freely admit it; I'm not a fan of the color orange. It belongs on a football field and certain citrus fruits, and not too many other places.

9. Terrible costumes on pets. Nuff said.

8. The commercialism of another holiday; Halloween costumes and decorations crowding store aisles the day after July 4th. (This includes those gigantic blow-up front yard displays.)

7. All that candy and paper strewn around the house and on the streets for weeks to come.

6. Rude teens and others too big to trick-or-treat who do it anyway.

5. Destruction and mayhem by idiots who get too carried away and then blame it on Halloween celebrating.

4. Parents who drag their kids around in cars all over town to get more and more treats.

3. Holiday greedy goblins. {Notice this is the stockpile of a baby!}

2. Parents who let their small kids wander the streets alone.

1. Costumes that shouldn't exist.

Ah, I feel so much better now. Not to be all negative and grinchy, I really like this photo, since the baby didn't actually have to wear the items~~

You hit it right on the nose so to say! I agreed with every one on your list but again--I love that you show us pictures with each post! Am I too lazy or what to find some? Actually, I haven't figured out where I can get pictures that don't require a fee.

I love Orange! it's one of "my" colors, so that one I'll snub *laughing*

We don't get trick or treaters here on the mountain, but when we lived in BR, we'd get these huge monster teenagers come to the door - so, we'd have our light on for the little ones that came early, then turn it off to stop the big arse kids from begging for candy.

If you have to wear a t-shirt that reads, "This is my costume" you are too old to T or T! :-)

We really have gotten greedy, Deb. And to think, the holiday originally came about to honor the souls of our loved ones. :(

Thanks, Carrie. *wink*

Terri, some other nice blogger (my brain can't recall who) told me she googles under "royalty free jpeg" for whatever subject she's looking for. I find a lot of good ones in photobucket and art.com too, and put a credit note if there's any doubt. Hope that helps.

Patty, those mountains really are like a slice of heaven. And thank you for dropping in.

Love trick-or-treating.. Always have! I'm just a big kid at heart, I think. I still dress up with my rugs! LOL! not for the candy! I'm such a mean mom though.. lol.. whatever they don't eat within a 24 hour period a confiscate and it goes in a big jar and they get a piece of candy each day once their chores and homework are done! LOL! course, I have 6 kids.. that bribery (Instant Blessings) jar usually lasts until Easter.

Good list! Those are things I find unsetting about the "holiday," too. I want my girls to have fun dressing up (which they love to do regardless), and to enjoy the school costume parade and party, but I draw the limit with minimal candy (which we put away and eat for months) and an early night in. The idea of those wild teenagers and people who take the holiday a little too seriously make me nervous with such young ones of my own.

I agree with you as well. I guess because I am older and my children are grown. My husband and I are grateful that we live on a street that the kids do not come down to "beg" for candy. And I have had to "control" other people's kids that I didn't even know when they rushed up on my porch knocking everything over and scaring my poor animals.

Don't get me wrong...I love the scents, sounds, and the scariness of it all, but I agree with we are becoming a greedy society. It's still scary to let your kids dive into the candy before putting it through metal detectors or analyzing the chocolate. And it's a shame that the little "grandma's" of the neighborhoods can't hand out homemade tea cakes or popcorn balls in fear of being sued for food poisoning. I agree with the stores "commercializing" all the holidays too.

Great list. #4 drives me bonkers. Growing up, I lived in the neighborhood everyone would drive their kids to for trick-or-treating. You could barely walk down the streets because of all the cars parked end-to-end. Plus my mom goes through a fortune in candy every year!

Another thing I dislike are the sexed-up kiddy costumes, Janna. Glad you still have good fun with your munchkins on the day.

Barbara, you must have civilized trick-or-treaters where you live. I'm glad it's an enjoyable time for you.

Thanks, Ang. I think that's when the holiday went sour for me - when the crazies got a mind to do harmful stuff to innocent kids. After a night of walking the streets, then poor parents have to go get the candy x-rayed while the kiddies are screaming for "just one peice!" :)

I've turned into a Halloween grinch, as well. I don't like to pass out candy to trick o'treaters (I'm so horrible!), but would rather hide myself away in the house and let my husband take my daughter trick o' treating.

I couldn't agree with you more. Halloween is my least favorite "holiday". Even when the kids were young it was just a source of stress trying to come up with some new costume each year. For me...it's Bah Humbug to Halloween!

Travis & Colby, I couldn't agree more. It's so fun coming up with the idea. Daughter is making her Queen of Hearts costume right now with a few friends who are going as the Mad Hatter's Tea Party characters.

I'll be dressing myself up to serve supper at the mens shelter tonight, but it won't be a store bought thing.

Amen, Sister Linda. The best costumes I got for them when they were young were things that could morph into pajamas later, like detaching super hero capes, etc.

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Angie Ledbetter is Co-Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal: roseandthornjournal.com. She is a writer, editor and sometime poet.
When not wrangling her family life, she enjoys working on her women's fiction novel and other writing projects.
Ledbetter is just a little bit scattered, but never boring. She loves communing with others across the Blogosphere. She's also @Angie_Ledbetter in Twitteritaville, and FaceBook.
Email~~> AngieDLed@aol.com